Gilligan lawyers prepare fresh attack on supergrass

Lawyers for John Gilligan are today expected to continue their bid to shatter the credibility of witnesses on protection schemes being called to give evidence in his trial for the murder of Veronica Guerin.

After a number of delays, the three-judge panel in the Special Criminal Court is finally expected to hear evidence from the first supergrass.

When the hearings resume this morning the defence lawyers are expected to resume their cross examination of a senior Garda, who was involved in interviewing the protected witnesses. Gilligan’s team insist they were offered favourable treatment for turning state evidence.

In particular they are pointing the finger at Charlie Bowden, who admitted priming the murder weapon for the Guerin murder and was granted immunity in return for evidence.

This week the court is also expected to hear from self-confessed drug smuggler John Dunne, who claims he was a figure in the drug gang allegedly run by Gilligan.